BEHV 2018 CHAPTER 3 TB NOTES

Learning Outcomes

• Outline and critically evaluate:

  • Adler’s individual psychology

  • Carl Jung’s analytic psychology

  • Karen Horney’s approach to personality

• Consider splits between Freud and his followers.

Key Themes

• Disagreements between Freud and followers.

• Adler’s individual psychology:

  • Inferiority complex

  • Birth order implications.

• Carl Jung’s analytic psychology:

  • Structures within the psyche.

• The psychology of Karen Horney.

• Treatment approaches by Adler, Jung, and Horney.

• Evaluation of the theories of Adler, Jung, and Horney.

Introduction

• All three theorists share the view on the significance of unconscious motivation in behavior.

• The discussion will recognize divergences from Freud without a unifying theory.

• Freud's early work received significant acclaim; his stubborn demeanor led to conflicts with colleagues.

• Notable figures who split from Freud:

  • Alfred Adler: Originally supportive but resigned due to Freud's intolerance.

  • Carl Jung: Interested in broader human aspirations and spirituality; disagreed with Freud's theories.

  • Karen Horney: Critiqued Freud's views on women's psychology, positioning herself as a feminist figure in psychoanalysis.

Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler

• Inferiority Complex:

  • Began with the notion of organ inferiority; extended to psychological and social inferiority stemming from childhood.

  • Adults strive for superiority to compensate for inferiority feelings; unhealthy coping results in inferior/superior complexes. -** Three main areas affecting personality:

  • Parental influence and sibling dynamics shape development.

  • Styles of life established in early childhood influence interpersonal interactions and coping mechanisms.

• Birth Order:

  • Significantly affects personality development; different roles in the family reshape individual psyche.

Concepts in Adler's Individual Psychology

• Social Interest:

  • A natural inclination to cooperate for societal benefit; essential for healthy personality development.

  • Lack of social interest signifies unhealthy personality traits and behaviors.

• **Personality Types: **

  • Ruling Type: Power-seeking, emotionally manipulative.

  • Avoiding Type: Seeks to evade problems; passive.

  • Getting Type: Dependent, relies on others for assistance.

  • Socially Useful Type: Cooperative, contributes positively to others.

• Adler’s Treatment Approach:

  • Focus on understanding childhood experiences and mistaken lifestyles.

  • Emphasizes rekindling social interest.

Carl Jung's Analytic Psychology

• The Psyche: Comprised of various structures:

  • Ego: Center of consciousness.

  • Personal Unconscious: Contains suppressed memories and experiences.

  • Collective Unconscious: Collective instincts shared across humanity, including archetypes.

• Archetypes: Universal symbols influencing behavior and interpersonal relations (e.g., persona, shadow, anima, animus).

• Psychological Types:

  • Extraversion and introversion are foundational; further delineated into four functions: sensing, thinking, feeling, and intuiting.

  • Mental Health: Imbalance in psyche leads to mental illness; treatment through analysis of dreams and personal experiences.

Karen Horney's Approaches

• Rejected Freud's sexual emphasis, focusing on societal influences on psychological development.

• Basic Anxiety: Stemming from inconsistent parental relationships, leading to neurotic personalities.

• Neurotic Needs:

  • Horney outlined ten neurotic needs that manifest compulsively and rigidly in neurotic personalities, often in response to basic anxiety.

  • **Three Personality Types: ** Compliant, Aggressive, Detached.

  • Healthy individuals can flexibly adapt various strategies as situations demand.

• Defence Mechanisms: Horney expanded Freud's list introducing new mechanisms like:

  • Blind spots

  • Compartmentalisation

  • Rationalisation

• Critique of Freud: Challenged ideas such as 'penis envy', emphasizing the social contexts shaping gender roles.

Evaluation of Theories

• Adler:

  • Description, explanation, and applications largely helpful yet simplistic in some domains.

• Jung:

  • Complex framework needing careful elucidation; contributory to understanding spirituality.

• Horney:

  • Clarity in her descriptions and focus on interpersonal relationships useful for understanding neurosis and personality development.

  • Empowered feminist critiques against Freudian structures.

Final Assessment

• The evolution of psychoanalysis from Freud to Adler, Jung, and Horney illustrates a shift towards recognizing human social context and relationships in personality development.